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This week, Keith provides an overview of the launch of this
year's National Financial Planning Symposiums and outlines the
Personal Finance Society's recent consultation submission on
redefining advice.

This week, Keith reaffirms the Personal Finance Society's
commitment to gender parity, from both a sector and consumer
perspective, and reports back from the first round of judging for
this year's personal finance practitioner awards.

This week, Keith reports from a recent meeting with the FCA,
hosted by the regulator as part of its focus on smarter
communications and suitability reporting. He also reports from an
Asset Managers Thinktank which was held after a period when asset
managers have come under greater scrutiny from the regulator and
consumer groups.

This week, Keith pays tribute to the Personal Finance Society
members approaching a significant milestone, and explains why
concerns about life companies re-entering the advice market are
largely misplaced.

This week, Keith outlines why the current review into FSCS
funding is too restricted in its scope to deliver the fairest and
most sustainable solution, after writing to the Treasury, seeking
its support to broaden the current consultation to include
alternative funding options including a product levy.

This week, Keith responds to last week's Brexit referendum
result, ahead of hosting a meeting with members of Europe's largest
standard setting and certification body for financial planners and
advisers. He also reports from the latest in a series of working
groups to discuss the FCA's review of the FSCS funding model.

This week, Keith discusses recent survey results which
pleasingly reveal that confidence in the advice profession
continues to rise. He also responds to the FCA's recent paper on
access to financial services, which suggests that consumers looking
to take out a mortgage should have access to 'holistic advice and
guidance'.

This week, Keith responds to irresponsible comments made
recently by the Bank of England's chief economist, who wrongly
suggested that financial advisers had "no clue" about recent
changes to pension regulation. He also reports back from the first
formal consultation meeting with the FCA regarding its review of
the FSCS funding system.

After meeting with the FCA and FSCS for pre-consultation
discussions around a proposed overhaul of the FSCS levy, Keith
explains why it's important for advisers to have their say, and
previews the next edition of Financial Solutions magazine, which
will feature an important voice in the debate.

This week Keith explains how the proposed pension advice
allowance provides another example of the government's recognition
of the value of professional financial advice, and urges members to
have their say in The Personal Finance Society's latest campaign in
the war for talent.

#019 A letter from
George Osborne and Harriett Baldwin to Personal Finance Society
members

Following the recent Treasury review into the representation of
women in senior managerial roles in financial services, the
Government has launched the Women in Financial Services Charter.
The Chancellor has written directly to the Personal Finance Society
and requested that we pass on the details of this key national
initiative.

This week Keith discusses the work behind the scenes to champion
professional advice and the role of financial planning, as well as
making our voice heard in discussions with government departments,
regulators and our fellow professional organisations.

Monday (22nd Feb 2016) saw the launch of
the FCA's Ageing Population Discussion Paper, so in this edition of
Backstage with Keith Richards, Keith shares his involvement in the
initiative as well as his latest work with the consumer
media.

It's been another busy fortnight at the PFS with Keith
attending meetings at the FCA as well as with the regulator over on
the Isle of Man. In this edition of Backstage with
Keith Richards, Keith discusses the future of MoneyPlan,
his latest discussions with the Treasury and the appointment of
Andrew Bailey as head of the FCA.

2016 has only just begun and already there are lots of exciting
developments for our profession starting to take shape. In the
first blog post of the year, Keith takes a look at what the next 12
months may have in store both for the wider profession and within
the PFS as well.

In the final Backstage with Keith Richards for the year, Keith
looks back on some of the key milestones and achievements of 2015,
both from the view of the Personal Finance Society and the
profession as a whole. It has definitely been an eventful year and
there's lots to reflect on...

This week in Backstage with Keith Richards, Keith urges
members to have a say in the future of the profession by responding
to the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR). Find out more about
the Personal Finance Society's behind the scenes lobbying
work.

This week Keith reflects on the success of the
first National Financial Planning Symposium in London (fire
alarms aside) and the Chartered Awards gala dinner. Keith also
discusses his recent meeting with the Treasury on a secondary
annuity market and our work with the consumer press to support our
President's theme of "raising the profile of professional
advice".

This week, Keith discusses the ongoing dominance of FAMR
in the trades and how the Personal Finance Society is playing it's
part; how we are working with the regulator over on the Isle of Man
as well as here in London; and the final preparations being made
for our National Financial Planning Symposiums and Chartered Awards
evening.

In the latest edition of the Backstage blog Keith reflects on
the recently announced Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR) and
what it means to the industry. He has also had a number of key
speaking engagements at the FCA robo-advice event, the FTAdviser
Retirement Freedoms Forum in Birmingham and at the Personal Finance
Society graduation.

Keith has recently been in the States, attending
the Financial Planning Association conference in Boston. In
the latest edition of the Backstage blog he discusses the global
financial advice market, and how the UK is now being seen as
the 'Gold Standard'.

In the last two weeks Keith has been busy! In
the latest edition of the backstage blog Keith talks about the
success of the recent PFS Purley Paraplanning events, outcomes from
the board strategy planning day, results of the society's AGM,
collaboration with the Pilgrims' Friend Society, developing
"common language" with the ABI, and upcoming meetings with the
Pensions Minister Baroness Altmann and the FCA.

September brings to an end the holiday season for most of
us and signals the arrival of Autumn. However, September is an
important month for the Personal Finance Society's strategic
planning as the Board and I review progress and focus on key areas
of d...

Despite being in the middle of the summer holiday period,
it has been a busy week, and included a meeting with City of London
Police on consumer fraud and the work we are doing on scam
awareness; lunch with the illumin...

I welcome the news that HM Treasury has instigated a
review into the financial advice market as this follows a Personal
Finance Society letter to the Chancellor on 1st July, requesting
Treasury intervention.

I'm very pleased to be writing my very first blog entry
for 'Backstage with Keith Richards' - after much consideration of a
blog identity, it was of course the younger members of my team who
came up with the title...the older members smiled
quietly!